Bishop Grosseteste University is first UK institution to go live with OCLC's WorldShare Management Services

Press Release:
OCLC
[June 11, 2013]

Copyright (c) 2013 OCLC

Abstract: Bishop Grosseteste University in Lincoln is the first institution in the UK to go live with OCLC’s WorldShare Management Services. Bishop Grosseteste University is now among the more than 100 libraries worldwide using OCLC’s cloud-based library management services that easily integrate with institutional systems to help libraries become more efficient with print and electronic workflows.

BIRMINGHAM, England, 11 June 2013—Bishop Grosseteste University in Lincoln is the first institution in the UK to go live with OCLC's WorldShare Management Services (WMS) having successfully implemented the services on Monday. Bishop Grosseteste University is now among the more than 100 libraries worldwide using OCLC's cloud-based library management services that easily integrate with institutional systems to help libraries become more efficient with print and electronic workflows.

With WMS, library staff at Bishop Grosseteste University saw they could modernise their workflows, create savings on both IT infrastructure and staff time, and drive up student satisfaction levels. Emma Sansby, Head of Library Services, explains: "WMS is both modern and evolving. It offers the efficiencies of cloud-based computing, taking pressure off our library and IT teams who no longer have to maintain in-house infrastructure. We will benefit not only from OCLC's regular upgrades but also the innovations that libraries around the world develop and share. That really appeals to us." From the earliest stages, librarians at the University found WMS easy to use, with clear modern interfaces.

The integration capabilities of WMS were a priority for the University. "We were looking for a joined-up system," said Nicola Perry, Systems Librarian. "At the moment, systems like Student Records and Finance all work separately from the library, and there's a lot of scope for efficiencies to save staff time. In areas such as acquisitions, we can link to the library's book supplier, avoiding duplication of effort and the errors that creep in when data is copied from one system to another," Perry continues.

The University is also introducing OCLC's WorldCat Local, the student-facing discovery layer for WMS. WorldCat Local offers the same unified approach to print and electronic resources, delivering a one-stop shop to students. "By improving the students' search results, we hope to increase levels of student satisfaction with the library as a whole," said Perry.

Bishop Grosseteste University is one of the first European universities to implement WMS. Tilburg University in the Netherlands has already implemented the full service. Going live with WMS on schedule, as the academic year draws to a close, comes at the end of a well-organised implementation project at Lincoln, throughout which staff from OCLC and BGU have come together regularly to review progress on set-up and configuration work. "Working with the OCLC team has been a completely positive experience," says Sansby. The University has put together a launch plan, including training as well as promotional materials and testimonials from students and staff.

Sansby concludes: "We're looking forward to seeing how the students and staff receive it, and then exploring the capabilities of WMS further in the new academic year, to look at how we might streamline our processes further."

About Bishop Grosseteste University

Established in 1862, Bishop Grosseteste University is committed to being a leader in learning, to inspire excellence, and to enrich the lives of its students and staff and the communities it serves. In December 2012, Bishop Grosseteste was granted its University title after the Government changed the threshold number of students required for an institution to be called a university.

About OCLC

Founded in 1967, OCLC is a nonprofit, membership, computer library service and research organization dedicated to the public purposes of furthering access to the world's information and reducing library costs. More than 74,000 libraries in 170 countries have used OCLC services to locate, acquire, catalogue, lend, preserve and manage library materials. Researchers, students, faculty, scholars, professional librarians and other information seekers use OCLC services to obtain bibliographic, abstract and full-text information when and where they need it. OCLC and its member libraries cooperatively produce and maintain WorldCat, the world's largest online database for discovery of library resources. Search WorldCat.org on the Web. For more information, visit the OCLC website.